Chen Yu felt that the benefits of treating Hill were already starting to show.
Case in point, a client had just come to him.
Without much thought, Chen Yu agreed.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were a strong team in their National Football League division, having won the division championship for the past two consecutive years.
Treating their players would also help Chen Yu expand his NFL clientele.
He asked Wash to email him the medical records, promised to head over as soon as possible, and then hung up the phone.
Returning to the treatment room, he found Quinn moving his left leg around.
It had been a long time since his left leg felt this relaxed.
So much so that Quinn's gaze toward Chen Yu had lost some of its sharpness.
The old man was unassuming in appearance, but his eyes were piercingly bright, as sharp as a hawk's.
"Young man, you're different from the other doctors I've met." A smile appeared on Quinn's lips.
'I hope you'll still be smiling when you get the bill,' Chen Yu thought.
He gestured for Quinn to sit down and began the moxibustion and massage treatment.
That was followed by the plaster.
Regardless of the effect, he still had to grind for enough experience points.
After the treatment, Quinn's walk was still a bit wobbly, but at least he wasn't trembling from the pain anymore.
"I feel ten years younger."
Quinn was in a great mood. "It's a good thing that bastard Javier ran off. Chen, your medical skills are brilliant. I'll be coming back often."
Chen Yu walked Quinn to the door. "I just took over this clinic and I need clients. If you think my treatments are effective, you could help me spread the word."
Chen Yu's purpose for opening this clinic was to rack up experience points and see more patients.
A general clinic could see far more patients than a specialized hospital.
"No problem." Quinn made an OK sign with his hand. "Just as long as your fees aren't so expensive."
'So you do care about the high fees after all,' Chen Yu thought.
"Don't worry, my fees aren't usually this high." His was a private clinic with flexible pricing. He didn't have to follow the federal CPT code pricing standards at all, so Chen Yu could decide for himself how much to charge for an acupuncture session.
He could charge you 500 US dollars per session, or he could charge you 50.
Quinn grunted but didn't seem to mind. He wobbled over to his Beetle and drove away.
Chen Yu went back inside and used the clinic's ancient computer to log into his email and check the medical records Wash had sent.
The patient's name was Keenan McCardell. He had entered the NFL in '92 and was now 30 years old.
He wasn't a star player; at least, Chen Yu had never heard of him.
He looked him up online.
He was a wide receiver for the Jaguars' offense, known for his speed and agility. These were essential skills for his position; after catching a pass from the quarterback, he had to shake off defenders and sprint downfield as fast as possible.
This time, McCardell had injured his left knee. He had a history of sprains and had even suffered a major injury like a torn ligament.
Chen Yu was reminded of "Beetle" Tim Hardaway.
Judging from the scans, McCardell's knee was just as bad as Hardaway's, if not worse.
He'd had surgery to repair a torn ligament, part of his meniscus had been removed, and now his cartilage and synovial membrane were both problematic.
Chen Yu couldn't help but marvel that he could still play on a leg like that. The bodies of these NFL guys were practically inhuman.
The biggest problems right now, however, were inflammation and swelling. He had probably twisted it again.
That was likely why Wash had contacted him.
Just as he was looking over the records, someone rang the bell outside.
Chen Yu went out and saw that it was De Brown.
Dressed in loose-fitting clothes and holding a newspaper, he greeted Chen Yu with a cheerful smile.
"Chen, your clinic is pretty hard to find," Brown said with a laugh.
'Just say my clinic is small,' Chen Yu thought. 'But the size of the clinic doesn't matter; the doctor does.'
He led Brown into the treatment room, had him sit down, and began a physical examination.
He didn't schedule an X-ray or anything similar. He had to go to Jacksonville tomorrow and there wasn't enough time.
He'd just state any problems he found directly.
If asked how, he'd say he found them by touch.
In fact, Chen Yu had already gotten a rough idea of Brown's condition during yesterday's event.
His problem was also very common: a torn collateral ligament in his right knee that had been surgically repaired, leading to a decline in his athletic ability.
His knee was a complete mess now. A full recovery was virtually impossible.
"The subscapularis muscle in your left rotator cuff, right here," Chen Yu lifted Brown's left arm and pointed to the area near his armpit, "has a minor strain. It's causing some restriction and pain when you raise your left arm high."
Brown was stunned. "Chen, that's incredible! How could you tell?" he asked, amazed.
'Are you trying to test me?' Chen Yu thought. 'If I don't show you some real skill, how am I going to get you to willingly hand over your money?'
"The problem isn't serious. I have some special treatment methods that can help relieve the pain." Chen Yu efficiently went to get the silver needles.
Compared to Monty, Brown was much calmer about facing acupuncture.
"Chen, my knee... is there any way for it to recover? I've injured the ligament before." Brown rubbed his right knee.
He was a former Slam Dunk Contest champion, famous for his no-look dunk where he covered his face.
If it weren't for his knee injury, he wouldn't have fallen to the point of near retirement.
Chen Yu hesitated for a moment. "I'll schedule an MRI for you later. We'll see after the examination."
An unconcealable look of joy spread across Brown's face, and his eyes brightened considerably.
"Chen, you're a good doctor. Yesterday, I heard from Grant that you applied for the team doctor position with the Heat in Miami and didn't get it. Why not try out here in Orlando?"
'I'd like to,' Chen Yu thought, 'but the position with the Magic is already filled.'
Besides, Chen Yu really didn't think much of the Magic's management.
Brown continued, "If you could become our team doctor, I think it would be a great thing for all of us, and for the team. Joe is okay, but to be honest, he's not responsible enough."
Brown complained, "I strained my shoulder during practice while dunking. I went to see Joe, and he told me it was nothing serious. But for the past few days, my shoulder has been bothering me whenever I shoot."
Chen Yu frowned to himself.
'The way Billings was treating Monty and Brown... wasn't that going too far?'
Or was he just going through the motions, collecting a paycheck?
Chen Yu began removing the needles. "If you guys feel Billings isn't responsible enough, you can always communicate that to the management. Express your true thoughts."
Brown scoffed. "As if that would do any good. We're not star players. Who cares about our opinions?"
"They're the ones who guarantee ticket sales. And us? We're just benchwarmers filling out the roster. To put it bluntly, we're a burden to the team."
"Besides, who's to say Joe isn't just following orders from management?"
Brown lowered his voice.
"The team needs wins. Player injuries directly affect the team's record and ticket sales."
'In the eyes of the management, it's probably not a major injury, so why is everyone being so dramatic? Just get back on the court and play.'
Chen Yu sighed inwardly.
He had witnessed the Magic management's arrogance firsthand.
"Oh, right."
Brown remembered something, turned around, and spread out the newspaper he had brought, handing it to Chen Yu.
"Chen, look at this media report. I think you'd better remind Hill to be wary of the media, stop them from talking nonsense."
Chen Yu took the newspaper. It was a copy of the Orlando Sentinel.
The headline of the sports section featured a photo from yesterday of Hill at a school event, standing on his left foot while teaching children to imitate a bird in flight.
The headline read, "Hill's Miraculous Recovery, May Be Fully Healed."
The article below described yesterday's charity event, highlighting that it was Hill's first public appearance since his injury. After the event, Rivers was interviewed, and his exact words were, "As for how he's recovering, you can see for yourselves."
The article then mentioned the Magic's recent poor performance, implying it was due to Hill's absence.
Reading through the whole article, Chen Yu got the strange feeling that it was trying to send a message: that Hill was clearly recovered but was unwilling to play when the team needed him, choosing to stay home and nurse his injury instead.
Chen Yu's brow furrowed.
'The media might not know the truth, but surely you, Gabriel, do, right? Why aren't you stepping up to say something?'